GIRLS BASKETBALL: Undefeated Duxbury gets sectional title shot

Catherine Harrison and Molly Quilty were dominant down low Tuesday night in leading the Green Dragons (23-0) over Foxboro in the Div. 2 South semifinals.

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By Eric McHugh
The Patriot Ledger

Wicked Local

By Eric McHugh
The Patriot Ledger

Posted Mar. 5, 2014 at 3:04 AM
Updated Mar 5, 2014 at 3:10 AM

By Eric McHugh
The Patriot Ledger

Posted Mar. 5, 2014 at 3:04 AM
Updated Mar 5, 2014 at 3:10 AM

» Social News

BROCKTON – In what has become a trend in playoff gyms across the region, the Foxboro High student body turned out in force – and in costume – at Massasoit Community College on Tuesday night.

Among those in attendance: Santa, Uncle Sam, Gumby, a guy in a toga, two Boston Bruins, several large penguins and Frylock from “Aqua Teen Hunger Force.”

The menagerie seemed to have fun all night.

Not quite as much fun as Catherine Harrison and Molly Quilty, though.

Taking full advantage of their decisive size advantage, the Duxbury duo bludgeoned Foxboro in the paint, combining for 35 points, 29 rebounds and five blocks in a 56-42 win in the Division 2 South Sectional girls basketball semifinals.

“We knew that they were not nearly as tall as us, so we wanted to use that as an advantage,” said Harrison, whose points were evenly distributed between halves. “We just wanted to keep feeding the post until it didn’t work anymore. And then that really opens up our outside game for Maddie (Foote) and our other shooters.”

Said coach Bob Sullivan: “When we feed the post, Catherine is pretty much unstoppable one-on-one, and Molly just finishes around the basket so well. If we stick with that theory, I think we’re going to do well.”

So far, the plan has worked to perfection, literally, for Duxbury. The top-seeded Green Dragons (23-0) are three wins away from a Div. 2 state title. Next up is Saturday’s 10 a.m. sectional final at UMass-Boston against No. 7 Sharon (15-8).

Duxbury made the championship game last season but fell to eventual state champ Medfield, 47-43.

“It means a lot to us to get back there and prove ourselves,” said 5-11 senior forward Haley McLaughlin. “We’ve worked so hard since then.”

“I’ve been motivated since we lost at UMass-Boston last year,” Sullivan said. “We were a little young last year; our point guard (Foote) was a sophomore. We had never been on that stage before. I’m hoping we go to UMass-Boston and take care of business.”

Duxbury has won its three playoff games by margins of 15, 6 and now 14 points. On paper, No. 13 Foxboro (12-11) seemed to be a huge underdog, but despite their lack of size the Warriors were resilient all night.

Foxboro led only once, at 12-11, when junior guard Katherine Tamulionis hit a pair of three throws in the final minute of the first quarter.

Page 2 of 2 - A 9-2 Duxbury run to start the second restored order. The Dragons took a 10-point lead, at 26-16, late in the quarter, but Foxboro shaved the deficit in half by the break. The Warriors were still hanging around (down 43-38) with five minutes and change left in the game before Harrison’s third-chance basket ignited an 8-0 run that settled the matter.

“It felt like we were losing the entire game,” McLaughlin said. “They had a fan section that was getting in our heads at some points. But we held our own.”